“Dereliction of Duty”: Report Finds Robinson Failed To Show Up To A Single Military Affairs Commission Meeting As LG
“Discipline and sticking to commitments have evidently remained struggles for Robinson, as his attendance record demonstrates.”
Bombshell reporting from the Atlantic reveals that “one of Robinson’s few statutory roles” is to serve on the Military Affairs Commission, yet “records from the MAC show that Robinson has not attended a single meeting of the group in his four years as lieutenant governor.” Despite repeatedly stating he wants to make North Carolina the “gold standard” of veterans care and saying that elected officials need to “honor these folks, not just with our mouths,” Robinson has failed to show up, do his job, and contribute to meaningful ways the state can better serve military families and veterans.
The Atlantic points out that “the very same day” that Robinson “lamented to an interviewer that Democrats and Republicans couldn’t even work on things where they agree” like “veterans issues,” “when the MAC met, including representatives from both parties as well as nonpartisan members, Robinson was not at the table.” As political science professor Chris Cooper said, “You show how much you care with time…if he’s not putting his time attending these meetings, I think that is a sign that it wasn’t a priority and isn’t a priority.”
Reporting highlights that before he ran for Governor, Robinson spoke about the importance of not just paying lip service to veterans, saying that if it were up to him “these guys would have to go in the room and sit until they got straightened out.” But as The Atlantic points out: “He’s now had the chance to sit in that room, but he still hasn’t shown up.” Robinson also opposed “a Medicaid expansion, backed by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, that has made thousands of veterans eligible for new benefits.”
“If he won’t show up for the brave men and women who have served our country, do you think he’ll show up for you?”, said Morgan Hopkins, a spokeswoman for the campaign.
As Attorney General, Josh Stein has consistently shown up for servicemembers and veterans, including standing with a bipartisan group of Attorneys General to protect VA benefits from scammers and urging the Supreme Court to protect the GI benefits that our veterans earned. Stein has also fought to protect veterans’ access to the health care they need and deserve by urging Congress to pass the PACT Act and fighting for Medicaid expansion, which has made 14,000 North Carolina veterans and their families newly eligible for Medicaid.
As Governor, Stein is committed to strengthening North Carolina’s status as the most military and veteran-friendly state in the nation, including addressing affordable housing, supporting pathways to employment, and investing in mental and physical health care.
